The subject of this seminar is liberalism, which is being embraced around
the world. Countries that were sworn enemies of liberalism only a few years
ago now favor it, and intellectuals who once scorned liberalism now praise
it. In light of these developments it seems appropriate to examine
liberalism in the United States, a nation long known for its distinctively
liberal political culture.
We will begin by asking what the term "liberalism" entails. In one sense, it
is a philosophical outlook, a way of viewing the moral world and our place
within it. In another sense, it is a political theory, or rather a family of
political theories, informed by the liberal point of view. And in still
another sense, liberalism is a cultural phenomenon, a widely held, albeit
diffuse, ethos that does not rise to the level of theory or philosophy, but
nevertheless seems to describe a distinctive way of life.
The cultural meaning of liberalism is particularly relevant to American
politics. More than one observer has been struck by the pervasive influence
of liberalism in the United States, and we will examine several attempts to
characterize our culture in terms of an American creed shot through with
liberal values and ideas. Some question the accuracy of these
characterizations, and others deny the possibility of providing a simple
characterization of American culture, but the descriptions have a
well-deserved reputation for illuminating fundamental aspects of American
history. These accounts remain useful to this day, allowing us to rise above
our differences and glimpse commonalities in our political life.
The dominance of liberal values in the U.S. is celebrated by many who would
export them to eager consumers abroad. There are those who warn of
liberalism's dark side, however. We will review these objections,
particularly those raised by communitarian critics of "rampant
individualism" and other alleged excesses of liberalism. These include its
erosion of communal bonds and sense of public purpose. Also, liberalism's
preoccupation with individuals is said to deny the relevance of race, gender
and class, thereby trivializing both the problems and promises of life in
pluralistic societies.
We will consider some liberals' answers to these charges, especially insofar
as they stress the putative virtues of liberalism. Such virtues are often
downplayed or overlooked by communitarians (and by some liberals, too). Yet
liberal virtues may provide the foundation for a morally robust and
politically satisfying version of liberalism, according to some
philosophers. We will discuss this claim and weigh its plausibility as we
speculate on the political and institutional arrangements necessary for
sustaining robust forms of liberalism in America.